


Pursuit

by butyoumight



Series: Since the Ocean is Our Coffin [3]
Category: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-01
Updated: 2011-07-01
Packaged: 2017-10-20 22:22:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/217716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butyoumight/pseuds/butyoumight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Basco straddled Marvelous' hips and put the knife to his throat. "Order them to stand back, Marvey-chan. Do it now."</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Pursuit

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate Universe. Follows up my _[Shuffling Your Deck of Trick Cards](http://archiveofourown.org/series/8684)_ series.

Joe felt like a child being punished. Grounded on the ship while the rest of the crew descended to Earth to deal with a problem that he knew was his purpose to fix.

The Galleon felt claustrophobic with the others all out, together and without him.

Marvelous had told him that they would find Basco and deal with him, as if this was supposed to make Joe feel better. Instead it had left him feeling betrayed, and thus frustrated with himself for feeling that way in the first place.

He still didn't understand why the idea of Marvelous killing Basco filled him with dread.

X

They met in the city, in a large park. Basco was waiting for them, his arms folded beneath his shawl, his face stony but for the flicker of a smirk in his eyes.

Marvelous' heart felt heavy when he glanced to his left and didn't see Joe's slim form there. Gai was enthusiastic, obviously invested in this new fight, but it wasn't the same. There was nothing quite like having Joe at his side.

Basco's eyes tracked over the group and his face changed, falling into a frightening glare, an unfathomable anger.

"Basco!" Marvelous called, palming his Mobirates out of his pocket. "Your time has come."

Basco snarled. "You dare..."

They transformed and attacked as one. Maybe it was overkill, but after the way Basco had so easily defeated Don and Gai, Marvelous wasn't taking any chances.

Basco seemed intent on focusing his rage at Marvelous, repeatedly deflecting the others' attacks and driving them away. Marvelous was fine with this, he had a large score to settle with Basco, and he's sure that somehow it has to be him. Joe was for some reason deeply attached to Basco, and Marvelous thinks if anyone else were to kill him, Joe would never forgive them. But Marvelous has no doubts that Joe could forgive _him_.

"Marvey-chan," Basco taunted, grabbing Marvelous' arm as he struck and spinning, twisting it behind his back and forcing him to drop his cutlass. "You must think me a fool."

Basco shifted, kicking out and sending Luka flying back with an angry shout. Marvelous used the temporary distraction to twist his arm away from Basco, spinning to kick him in the chest as he moved to a more reasonable distance. Now Basco stood between Marvelous and his cutlass, but he still had his gun. He drew it and fired several times though he knew it was useless. Most of what he'd learned about the art of dodging had been from Basco. There was no hitting him when he was focused on the fight.

Marvelous dove forward and rolled, passing Basco and reaching for his sword, coming to his feet with only a slight stumble on the leg Basco had managed to strike with his own sword as Marvelous moved past him.

Marvelous took a moment to catch his breath as Ahim and Don moved in against Basco together. They had transformed, were using the Gekiranger power, a furious assault in white and violet. Marvelous smiled, but it was short lived. They both needed to get in too close, and Basco's sword and skill was keeping them both in check.

Marvelous lifted his sword and dove into the fight, Gai coming in from the other side.

For a moment Marvelous thinks they've almost got Basco worn down. Gai's lance let him stay out of range of Basco's sword and attack while Basco was distracted. Marvelous struck, and Basco's attempt at dodging was circumvented by Don striking him in the side. Instead of taking Basco's arm off, Marvelous' blade struck with the flat, and Basco's sword went flying into the air.

There came their greatest mistake as they all glanced up, stupidly compelled to watch. Basco wasn't so easily distracted. He flipped into the air, a spinning move he'd obviously copied from Marvelous himself. His foot struck Ahim in the head and she went down in a flash, Don barely managing to catch her. Gai stumbled back awkwardly as Basco landed and lashed out with a knife he'd obviously been saving for just such an emergency. Before Marvelous can gather his wits, Basco has him by the throat, and with an untold strength he lifted Marvelous up and them slammed him full force back to the ground. In a brilliant flash of red, Marvelous groaned as his power left him, his Mobirates clattering away.

Basco straddled Marvelous' hips and put the knife to his throat. "Order them to stand back, Marvey-chan. Do it now."

X

Joe should have known not to do this. It was torture, standing at the console watching them fight on the screen, not even sure who he wanted to be victorious, and immediately cursing himself (aloud, since he was alone but for Navi) every time these doubtful thoughts crossed his mind.

Navi had tried to distract him, draw his focus away from the fight but he refused to let her dissuade him from this self-inflicted pain. Eventually she gave up and perched on the console, and he could swear he could detect a hint of sadness in her glowing gaze.

Joe actually shouted angrily when Basco lifted Marvelous up and then dropped him back to the ground. He slammed a fist into the console and turned to leave. Navi fluttered after him, calling his name. He ignored her until he reached the door leading to the deck and found it didn't open automatically as he approached.

"Navi, open the door."

She twirled around the ceiling in a slow circle. "I can't."

Joe narrowed his eyes at her. She fluttered down to hover in front of him.

"Why not?"

"Marvelous told me you weren't to leave the Galleon."

"What?"

"He said to lock everything until they return."

Joe could barely contain his frustration, his voice shaking slightly with the effort. "They need me. Open the door."

"No."

Joe snarled and took a swing at the bird but she flapped away, out of reach. "I'm sorry, Joe."

"Navi!"

X

Marvelous hesitated. He could see past Basco where Luka was advancing, her gun balanced over the reverse edge of her sword.

Basco pressed the knife more insistently to Marvelous' throat, Marvelous had to tilt his head back to keep from being cut. He could feel how sharp the blade was.

"Don't be an idiot, Marvey-chan. Do you really think any of them could defeat me? Who will be left to protect them if I kill you? _Order them back_."

Marvelous snarled, but it was hopeless. He hated admitting it, but Basco was right. "Back! All of you stay back." He shouted, and Basco smirked.

"Good boy, Marvey-chan. So you can be taught. Now we can speak like civilized people." Basco tilted the knife, stroked Marvelous' throat with the flat.

"This is civilized?" Marvelous was tempted to spit in Basco's face, but he restrained the impulse.

"Close enough. Now, for the important part. Blue-chan. He is mine, and I want him back."

"Never."

Basco snarled, and the knife flashed, quick as thought, cutting a thin red mark in Marvelous' left cheek before returning immediately to his throat. Marvelous heard Don shout his name.

"You do not speak for him. I'm giving you this chance. Deliver my message and let him decide for himself."

"I won't."

The knife flashed again, making a shorter but deeper cut under his right eye. Marvelous bit back a hiss.

"What are you scared of, Marvey-chan? That he'll pick me over you?"

"I will never let you take him from me again."

"He is mine!" Basco shouted, shifting his grip on the knife and lifting it ever so slightly, as if he was about to stab the blade into Marvelous' throat. Marvelous could see the blade clearly now, a simple kitchen knife with an ornate handle that might have come straight from the galley on his ship.

In fact, Marvelous is fairly sure it had, and his stomach felt coated with ice.

"I am being benevolent today, Marvey-chan. You stand between me and what is rightfully mine. I could easily kill you. Save myself time and trouble. But it would bother blue-chan. He would be angry with me. So I will let you live today. You will go back and tell him."

Marvelous growled.

"Make no mistake, Marvey-chan. If you ever lead your comrades against me again, I will kill them all. Starting with the green one. I owe him a debt of pain. Do you doubt me?"

"No." Marvelous had to admit there was nothing he wouldn't put past Basco. Something had changed about the man he had so long ago considered a friend. There was a desperate light in his eyes that belied his calculated actions.

"Then tell him. He will know where to find me."

Basco rose to his feet. He threw the knife with a deadly force, driving the blade into the ground mere inches from Marvelous' ear. Before any of them could move, Basco drew something from inside his shawl, a small metallic sphere. He threw it to the ground and it erupted into a thick fog of obscuring smoke. By the time it cleared, the crew was surrounding him, Luka helping him to his feet. And Basco was gone.

X

Marvelous had never felt like this before. Hesitant, hesitant to go back to his ship, his home.

As they approached he could actually feel how angry Joe was, radiating throughout the ship, and he'd expected that. He knew he'd be able to calm his first mate eventually. It wouldn't be pretty and there'd probably be an awful lot of shouting. But he'd had to do it. He'd had to lock Joe in, or he'd lose him. It wasn't a risk Marvelous was willing to take again.

No, the problem was what Marvelous had to do now, about Basco's ultimatum. He couldn't tell Joe, and he hated himself for knowing that he was planning to lie to his best friend, his closest confidant. Joe would never be able to rest if he knew that Basco had threatened the others. That had been the entire problem in the first place, his fear that they might not be able to protect themselves. Joe's stupid compulsion to protect them all, above even his own life.

Joe was waiting for them, standing in front of Marvelous' chair with his arms crossed and a serious glare that crumbled when his eyes found Marvelous' face. He crossed the room and grabbed Marvelous by the shoulders. "Why?"

Marvelous shook his head and shrugged Joe's hands off of him. Ahim followed close at his heels as he crossed to perch on the edge of his chair, and he leaned forward to let her bandage the small cuts on his face. Joe growled and moved to leave. Marvelous sighed.

"Don't."

Joe paused near the door, physically incapable of directly defying an order from his Captain. Marvelous didn't like bossing Joe around, but it had to be done. If Joe dared leave the ship now, Marvelous has no doubt Basco would find him, and he knew the next time he wouldn't ever get his Joe back.

Marvelous stood up, brushing his fingers against the bandage under his right eye. "Don't leave the ship, Joe. We need to talk later. Alone."

Joe glanced over his shoulder and then struck the wall with the flat of one hand, turning around and leaving the main room. Don started, moving to follow him, but Marvelous called him back.

"He'll be fine. He isn't going anywhere but his room."


End file.
